Concern about Cybercrime Limiting Canadians’ Online Services

More than half of Canadian respondents (53 percent) say their concern about cybercrime is limiting their use of online services, according to a new survey from Accenture.

Accenture’s 2017 Canada Cybercrime Survey also found high-levels of concern among citizens about cybercrime (80 percent), with more than one-third (36 percent) of Canadians saying they have been the target of an attempt. Almost one-fifth (19 percent) of respondents said they had previously been a victim of cybercrime.

The study found that few Canadians know how to respond when their cybersecurity is compromised, with just over one-third (38 percent) of respondents aware of how to report to authorities, and fewer than half (44 percent) being aware of how to protect themselves from cyber threats.

The survey also found that Canadians may be under-reporting and under-estimating their victimization by this type of crime. Only 11 percent of respondents had reported an incident in the past three years, and just one-third (36 percent) expressed confidence in the ability of police to respond effectively to cybercrime related complaints.

“Canadians are concerned about their general lack of knowledge when it comes to preventing and reporting cybercrime,” said Arnold van den Hoeven, Public Safety lead in Accenture Canada’s Health and Public Service practice. “The majority (78 percent) of survey respondents want government and public safety agencies to do more to inform them about how to prevent this type of crime and to stay safe online, with one-fifth (20 percent) of respondents specifically citing the need for increased education of citizens about their personal and data security when online.”

When it comes to engaging with police services to report cybercrimes, more than two-fifths (45 percent) of survey respondents said they are comfortable engaging police via online and digital channels and more than half (51 percent) believe that new digital technologies can help police deliver more effective services. More than half (59 percent) of respondents also believe that police services should use digital technologies to help build greater trust with the citizens and communities they serve.

Kirstie Magowan

Kirstie Magowan is the managing editor of IT Chronicles. Kirstie is an experienced journalist and publisher who has been working in the IT Service Management industry since 1999. Kirstie is a regular speaker at industry conferences globally.